


Starship Aflame

by You_Light_The_Sky



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Communication, F/M, Implied Future OT3, Possessive Behavior, Season 3 Spoilers, alternate season 3 finale, anger issues, i dont know why i wrote this, implied future tomstarco, implied happy ending, tom character study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-19 23:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14248110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Light_The_Sky/pseuds/You_Light_The_Sky
Summary: Maybe it’s not love, but it’s how Lucitors have always loved. Completely, absolutely, possessively. Or that AU where Tom takes Star down to the Underworld. And somehow learns to trust.





	Starship Aflame

**Author's Note:**

  * For [angelblack3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelblack3/gifts).



> I have a mighty need for Tom to take Star to the underworld for a bit because it's very Hades/Persephone aesthetic okay bye. 
> 
> After that amazing finale, my multishipping heart has been like, "can it be? canon ot3???" (is shot by the Starco battleship)
> 
> In terms of Tom's parents - I headcanon that Dave is a demon while his mother is categorized as a monster. Hence the half-demon, half-monster thing.

**Before:**

They always seemed to be dancing - away from each other, or towards each other. Dancing and dancing until they held hands again. Maybe Tom would always be chasing after her, maybe she’d always be dancing to something higher. But the first time he meets her, she’s laughing at something Ponyhead said. She’s laughing and Tom feels like this is the song the universe makes, as it expands and reaches out, and it’s breathtaking.

Of course, he has to be the first to ask her to dance--forget his insecurities about his horns and his eyes. Forget it all.

He’d be a fool to let someone else have her.

::

**Now:**

The sky is full of eyeless corpses, void like the dead of space. A void worse than the afterlife. Nothingness. Tom will not let that happen to her.

He chants and opens a gateway to hell, to home, and he turns around to offer his hand. Says the words he always wanted to say to her, _Come with me to the Underworld_. Except, whenever he imagined saying this, she had been smiling, willing to give up everything to be with him. She had chosen him above all things.

Star Butterfly is not one who gives up or focuses her love on one thing. No. Her reach encompasses everything. That’s what he loves about her.

She stands up above still, the dark sky making her hair glow ethereally. She’s as sky-touched, as beyond him, as ever. But she has nothing in this world now. She has to choose him. She has to.

“I can’t,” she says. He’s never heard her voice so small yet firm. So uncertain yet final. “I’m Queen.” _Of course you are,_ he thinks, _I never doubted you. But you can be my Queen. Queen of the Underworld. Don’t let that monster snuff you out._ “I have to save my people.”

“No, Star,” he shouts, angry spirits inside of him raging that she must stay. She’s the only one who calms them all, who makes them all agree on one thing. “Meteora will kill you! She’s too powerful!” He saw what she did to the Marcnificent Seven. Toyed with them. Destroyed them.

But she doesn’t listen. She never has. Star does her own thing, arms stretched out as she transforms into a six-armed golden goddess and Tom’s jaw drops. Who is she, who is this, can he want her more than this…?

“Take care of Marco for me, stay safe!” she says, flying towards her decaying kingdom.

Tom stares after her, wondering what other secrets she’s kept. The kiss with Marco. Her butterfly form. Does she even love him? ( _No, no,_ his demons whisper, _when has that ever mattered as long as we have her attention? She will grow to love us._ )

( _She already loves us,_ his other tamer demons insist.)

( _But more than Marco?_ )

(Those demons don’t answer.)

“Did you know she can do that?” Tom asks husk-balloon-Marco.

No answer. No answer.

“Of course you did,” Tom’s eyes narrow, and he wishes that he was half the demon his father is. He wishes he could let go fo Marco and let him float up into the emptiness of space, wishes he could let Marco go but…!

Star loves Marco. Romantically? Who knows. Platonically. Hell yes.

Tom hates that he loves Marco too. But not more than Star.

“You’ll stay here,” he tells Marco, not that Marco can answer. With a snap of his fingers, he hands balloon-Marco to one of his servants, orders them to leave Marco in his room.

The demons in his heart cheer and roar. _Bring our Queen home, make her stay with you!_

Tom doesn’t know if he can stop himself from listening this time.

::

**Before:**

“Wanna dance,” he says, the way he’s heard his father try to coax unfortunate souls to sign contracts. Smooth and warm as lava. He hopes she can’t see the sweat beginning to form in his palms. Will she be haughty like other princesses? Will she look down at his features in disdain?

Princess Star glances up at him with cute chubby heart cheeks. A warm blush flits across her face, and Tom thinks, _nailed it,_ before the biggest grin bursts across her face.

“Hey, you have the coolest horns I’ve ever seen! Can I touch?” she jumps up.

Tom feels himself lose all speech. A common after effect of dealing with Star. (A memory: Tom wandering the castle hallways of Butterfly Castle when his father had a meeting with King River. Tom bumping into a Mewman and being called a monster. Disgusting. Tom losing his temper and later running to his father. Tom hearing his mother cry and his father insist that, as a demon, Tom doesn’t need to care about appearances--)

“Ahem!” Queen Moon Butterfly glares sternly at her daughter, while Tom’s mother smiles fondly.

“Ah, sorry there, uh, Prince Tom, I mean. Yes,” Princess Star takes his hand. “I would _love_ to dance with _you_ , handsome.”

He didn’t think he had a heart that could beat, or that he could truly _blush_ before.

“Yeah… I mean… hope you can dance as well as you flirt,” he winks, channeling everything his dad would do to get a job done.

Her smug smile stays in his thoughts for the rest of the night.

::

**Now:**

Tom takes the corpses that he can and uses them to fly to the castle. A burst of fire here, a few adjustments to direction, and he makes his way to the balcony of the throne room. For a minute, Tom considers tying the corpses up and letting them hang in the throne room, the way a decent soul would. But he can’t bring himself to care. Corpses are corpses. So common in the underworld. They’re probably better off floating in the ether than being mauled by Meteora for fun.

They’re just soulless husks.

He lets them go.

Then he sees Star thrown down against the wall.

::

**Before:**

When their hands meet, when they move together, it’s like fate. It’s like they’re destined to do this. Flames just flow from Tom’s feet, helplessly, even though his dad drilled him to keep control. _A true demon doesn’t show his true nature until he’s caught his prey_. For a minute, Tom fears he’ll burn her, but Star’s face just lights up in delight. She’s pure joy in spontaneity, there are golden butterflies dashing from her feet, playing and twirling playfully with his flames and he…

...just

……… Falls.

They spin and spin, glide up in the air. Lost in this bliss. In another world. And Tom has never felt like this. It’s like Star is a ship, guiding him to another universe of possibility. It’s like she’s the light that’s enchanted every demon in his being, that’s made them all whisper, _mine mine mine,_ it’s like touching real happiness and seeing the surface world for the first time.

He will never let her go.

::

**Now:**

“ _STAR!_ ” Tom’s by her side instantly, arms reaching out to her, as if to catalogue every wound.

Meteora just laughs and laughs, celebrating with her party of husk balloons. “Just another soul before I take the throne…”

 _Souls_. Tom’s demons begin to stand in uproar. Souls are _his_ domain. He will be the only one to have Star’s soul in the end. He will destroy the one who hurt her, he _will_ \--

Maybe once upon a time, Tom would have let his demons out, let his anger control him. Let himself try to destroy Meteora. But.

Star looks so cold. She should never be this cold, this unmoving. Star is life itself, expanding like the universe. Even if she doesn’t love him the way he wants, she promised she would be by his side. She promised that she would be here for him and he’s found that to be more addicting than her kisses--the soft and steady way she says _I’m here_ when she just holds him.

So he holds her, softly, gently. The way he should have before they broke up the first time.

“No…” he whispers, “her soul is mine.”

Before Meteora’s laser-beam, soul-stealing sight can reach them, Tom lets out his demons. Lets his entire being light up with rage and anger.

One chant, one word, and Tom has Star nestled in his arms and they’re in the Underworld.

They’re home.

::

**Before:**

Seperating from Star makes Tom feel like he’s been dunked into river of tears, the one Dad dunks adulterers into so they’ll feel their exes’ pain. He asks for her number right away and feels pleased when she gives it.

He calls her every free moment he gets. He can’t get enough of her voice, or laugh. Whenever Tom can, he coaxes her to come with him and party. Sometimes he accompanies her to hunt monsters. Sometimes he shows her the sights of the underworld.

Star takes to the underworld unexpectedly well. She’s charmed by his servants and sweet-talks his mother.

“If I didn’t know any better,” he teases from time to time, especially after one of her explosive mishaps, “I’d say that you were the one with the horns.”

She kisses him quickly and smiles. “Maybe I am. You’ll have to get me some.”

And wow, Tom holds onto those words like a dying man holds onto drops of water, even after thousands of years of torture. A Star with horns would look breathtaking, gorgeous. Like she’d holding a bit of himself with her, and how can they not be destined together after this?

“She’s a keeper,” his father says knowingly after hearing that conversation. “You should lay your claim.”

Tom scowls. “Dad! Star’s a _Butterfly_. She doesn’t do demon traditions. I can’t just claim her the way we do here.”

The King of the Underworld only smiled.

“There are _other_ ways to lay claim,” he says secretively. “Make her some horns. Put a bit of your magic into it. She’ll never want them off.”

Tom shrugs. Says he’ll think about it. But sure enough, that night, the thought of Star wearing _his_ horns, horns he made, is too tempting to avoid.

He presents the horned headband to her the next day and is awarded with the best kisses.

::

**Now:**

“Prince Lucitor?” his servants rush about in a panic. “Do you need anything? What’s going on?”

Their voices wash over Tom’s raging mind like the sound of flies. He lashes out. “Stay away from us! Don’t touch her!” But his tamer demons whisper, _she needs medical attention. Get a doctor._ Tom has enough frame of mind to shout for one.

Then he curls up in a corner, mumbling, whispering, stroking Star’s hair. She’s fine, she’s fine. She’s not bleeding or cold. She’ll be fine if he keeps her warm.

“I’m here, Star, I’m here,” he’s chanting, by the time the doctor arrives.

He doesn’t notice how her horned headband glows in response to his words, how Star’s eyelids glow in the same red.

::

**Before:**

Thoughts of Star refuse to leave him. He wants to be around her every moment. Isn’t that what normal couples do? Why _wouldn’t_ he blast any man who talks to her into the ether? Why wouldn’t he want to know what’s she doing all the time? His parents know everything about each other and they’re happy. Why doesn’t Star want to be happy?

Does she… not want to be with him?

His demons begin bickering with each other. Paranoid. Every man, woman, or being around Star is a threat. They want to take her away from him. Star is too open and trusting. She doesn’t feel the pull that Tom does. Why can’t she _see it, whywhywhywhy…?_

By the time Tom opens his eyes, there are flamemarks all over the room and Star is screaming at him, tears streaming down her lovely cheeks, saying _it’s over!,_ and nothing computes in Tom’s mind besides the enraged and shocked whispers of demons crawling in his mind.

::

**Now:**

When Tom wakes up, he’s tucked in bed beside Star. His hand is clutching hers, as desperately as he wanted to when he first asked her to dance, so many years ago. It’s quiet. Star is shivering by his side, holding onto his shoulder and Tom can count every one of her eyelashes.

Funny. He never really appreciated the quiet moments between them until they got together again. He craves holding her hand, listening to her speak. Just holding her. Before, he wanted everything about her but he didn’t think about what that _meant_. He worshipped Star and the idea of having her but he didn’t really know her.

Now he does know her and he worships her even more.

Quietly, he puts his arms around her, tucks her in under his chin.

“I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he whispers, “even if you hate me for it.”

The husk of Marco, floating on the ceiling, stares down at him.

::

**Before:**

“She can’t break up with me. She’s my _soulmate_. I know it. I just got to talk to her, make her remember how it feels to be together, she’ll see!” Tom paces back and forth, flames growing higher in his agitation.

His father, sitting at his cold throne, working through the paperwork of damned souls. How many lies gets one dragged down here? Which souls will be upgraded to servant?

“The love of a demon is very different to what the living are used to, especially a soul as free as Princess Star Butterfly,” his dad shrugs. “Are you _sure_ you want to commit to her?”

“ _Dad!_ ” Tom’s eyes blaze up. “I told you, she’s the one! I felt it! Our connection!”

The King of the Underworld smiles at him. “Then you have nothing to worry about. We demons love absolutely. We are committed. We always get what we want. Isn’t that right, darling?” He looks up fondly at Tom’s mother.

She croons gently at them both.

“Just remember, son, you must get her to feel it too.”

::

**Now:**

After what seems eternity, Star’s eyes start to flutter open, and Tom squeezes her tight in joy.

“You’re awake!” he cries out. “How do you feel? Your head still hurt? I had our court doctor check you over and give you some healing potions but--”

“... _Tom…_?” she says quietly, eyes staring blankly at the dark curtains and gothic decorations. “Where… Where’s Meteora? Did I… Did I beat her? Wh… What about my mom? Marco?”

The husk-balloon Marco floats past.

“ _Marco!_ ” Star sits up, the warrior Queen back in her gaze. “Oh my god, he’s not better?! Quick, we need to do research, Tom. So many people are just… floating in the skies now! If the magic sanctuary won’t work, maybe the magic realm? Ah but what if everyone forgets who they are?! Maybe that would be good--get a new start--but that would be bad, no one would deal with the consequences, who would rebuild Mewni, Marco’s still got to visit his baby brother and--”

“ _Star!_ ” Tom hugs her, afraid he’s lost her again. “Stop! It’s fine! Everything’s well… not fine.” He admits that because he’s sure lying is a not-good-boyfriend thing and he’s got to be good. Got to convince her to choose him. “Meteora is still in Mewni. I had to take us down here to save your soul.”

 _To own it,_ his demons contradict.

 _Shut up, shut up,_ he tells them.

“I… but… Oh my god?! Who’s going to stop her then?”

Tom clenches his fists. “No one Star. There’s no one left.”

“But… but…!” Star shakes her head. “I have to go.”

“Star, stop, there’s _literally no one left!_ You can take a break. You can train and get stronger, then come back. No one will know!”

“I will know! You will know! Come on, open the door. Let’s _go!_ ”

“ _STAR, NO!_ ” he explodes, stepping in her path. Everything about him aflame and disastrous. “I won’t let you pass!”

Her stance turns dangerous. Hurt flickers in her eyes before she glowers down at him, her wand out and ready. “Tom, my people are in danger.”

“Your people are _gone!_ ”

“I can still save them!”

“How do you know?!”

“I don’t, I just have to try!”

“Are you really going to leave me behind?!”

“It’s not about you, Tom!”

“ _Is that why you kissed Marco?_ ”

The silence around them is worse than the void.

“You…” she lets go of her wand. “Do you really want to do this now?”

Tom stares at her, sees how quiet and hurt she is and thinks, _I’ve made her think I’m a monster again._

“No. I… I _know_ you need to do this. But I can’t watch you be hurt. There has to be a smarter way to do this. There _has_ to. I know you don’t love me, the way you do Marco, but _I_ love you. Not the kind of love I thought I did. The kind of love where I can’t want you get hurt again. Even if it means keeping you here.”

For a moment, Star doesn’t speak. A quiet Star is never good. Then, slowly, she walks up to him and whispers, “You really think I don’t love you?”

Tom stares at her, remembers every moment some of his inner demons whispered that Star will never love a monster, remembers the day she held his hand after his first demoncism.

“I don’t know,” he says honestly. “But I definitely love you.”

Slowly, Star puts her hands on both side of Tom’s face. “Tom,” she says solemnly, “do you know why I got back together with you?”

“To forget about Marco?”

“No. I didn’t want to be with you for that. It wouldn’t have been fair to you. But I _did_ think Marco wasn’t going to be back in my life. I did think I was going to be single for a couple of years before I could move on. Then you… you danced with me and I remembered how free I always felt with you. I might have broken up with you because of the anger issues, but I still loved the happy memories with you. Then, after the demoncism, I saw how hard you were trying to be a better prince and I thought… _I want to protect this guy_ , I want to be with him along this journey. You’ve been one of my rocks, Tom. Of course, I love you. You inspire me.”

Soft warmth fills Tom’s body. More gentle than fire.

“One of your rocks?”

Star’s smile falls. “Well, you’re right. I love Marco too. But I also love you. We can… break up if you want. But I won’t get together with Marco when I love you as well. Maybe I’ll be Mewni’s first single Queen and demolish the monarchy afterwards. Yeah, that should do it…”

Tom furrows his brow. Typical Star. He has no idea how to react to that. Part of him wants to lock her up and make her love only him forever while the other is just grateful she has room in her heart for him. Hungry for scraps. But he can’t hurt Marco, not when he cares for the guy too.

“So… agree to disagree? You gonna let me face Meteora?”

And there. His demons are raging again. “ _No_ ,” he scowls. “I’m not letting her touch you.”

“Tom, you need to trust me!”

“I do trust you!”

“Then let me go,” Star insists. “Trust that I’ll come back.”

::

**Before:**

“She’s never gonna come back to you, ya know,” Ponyhead jeers after win-Star-back attempt number six. “Not when you keep acting like that.”

“Like what?” Tom hisses.

“A demon.”

“I _AM_ a demon!” he roars.

“Urgh, men,” Ponyhead rolls her eyes as she rushes to safety. “I mean _acting_ like one, you moron!”

But Tom’s never learned how to act like anything else.

::

**Now:**

“I don’t… I just… what if you get hurt?”

Star brings him closer and commands, “Then catch me when I fall.”

::

**Before:**

“Don’t let your anger control you. It’s just an emotion,” Brian the life coach says.

“Star’s her own person. She just does what she wants,” Marco laughs over ping pong. “I can’t make her do anything.”

“I’m here, I’m here,” Star whispers in his haunted dreams and Tom thinks for the first time that he’s never really _seen_ her until now.

After all, isn’t she still wearing his horns? Even after all this time?

::

**Now:**

“Alright,” Tom takes her hand, kisses it gently. “Let’s do this together.”

Star nods, eyes forward on the future.

They fight together as well as their dancing. Fire and butterflies swirling around Meteora. And even when they fall, well, Tom doesn’t let go.

::

Eclispa leaves with baby Meteora. The kingdom is saved. Marco bursts out of a hell portal and jumps Tom and Star in a big hug.

And Tom thinks that they all need to have a big talk about relationships, about Star’s too-big heart, about demon love and Marco’s loyal human love.

But for now, Tom’s demons are quiet. They dance softly in the thought of Star’s arms.

 


End file.
